Although at first glance, the Olympus E-30 looks quite similar when it comes to the appearance of the E-3, the housings do differ vastly. We find a number of new buttons, and other buttons have either been replaced or have disappeared all together. What stayed is the perfect hand-fit.
With a handgrip that fits as a glove and an acceptable weight, the Olympus E30 fits solidly and pleasantly in the hand. The buttons on the back of the camera next to the monitor are directly accessible with the thumb of your right hand, which adds to a swift operation.
I can imagine that the improved speed of focusing when using Live View in combination with the vari-angle monitor makes you use the optical viewfinder a lot less frequently.
